František Horčička

Who was František Horčička?

František Horčička Born in Prague June 29, 1776 and died in Prague April 5, 1856. History and portrait painter. Along with painters Antonín Machek and František Tkadlík and sculptor Václav Prachner, he was among the first local artists to reimagine Neoclassicism using Romantic ideas. Horčička turned to painting after graduating from law school, and was much in demand around Prague as a portraitist of the intelligentsia. He also worked as an art restorer, notably in restoring paintings in Prague Castle. His father-in-law was František Martin Pelcl; Josef Dobrovský was among his friends. He painted a number of portraits including his friend Dobrovský and Adam Bittner. Considered the most important portrait painter of his day until supplanted by Jacob Ginzel in 1822. He developed a valuable process for restoring pictures.

Works: St Wenceslaus destroying the Idol Swantovit; St Albert blessing the Country; St George and the Dragon; Holy Trinity; Portraits of Ignatius Cornova,Mathematician Gerstner, Abbe Dobrowsky, the philosopher Bolzano, Historian Pelzel, the Physiologist Purkyne; the Arch Bishop of Prague 1815-1830, Vaclav Leopold Chlumcansky. Miniatures, National Museum, Munich; Hortulus Animae, and several Codices, Imperial Library, Vienna; Psalter and Offici-um in three Folio Volumes, Vatican, rome -Immerzeel,ii. 55; Kramm,iii. 747; Mich- iels, vi., 406; Nagler, Mon., ii. 37